Traveler guide for spinning, twisting, etc.



July 22, 1924. 1,502,269

E. H. RODNEY TRAVELER GUIDE FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, ETC

Filed March 23. 1-921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 as 14 a 9 27 Y, 7 1a E 10 g5; g =g f lllllllllllllil 5 16 17 19 so 1 6 a t: /V

' avwe/wfoo @Mozvwq Jlily 22, 1924.

E. H. ROONEY TRAVELER GUIDE FOR SPINNING ETC , TWISTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 23, 1921 Patented July 22, 1924.

ELWIN HOLBHOUK 'ROQNEY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHOD E IElLANI).

TRAVELER GUIDE FOR SPINNING, TWISTINGrETC.

Application filed March 23, 1921. Serial No. 454,653.

mit of operating the spindles at relatively increased speeds so as to materially increase the production of yarn per spindle at a comparatively small increase in the cost of operation. I

In the present practice of spinning of yarns and particularly in thatclass of machine known as a spinning frame there is universally employed a revolving thread guide which co-acts with the spindle effecting the twisting of the yarn. such; revolving thread guide being known as a traveler and is arranged to have sliding en gagement with the spinning ring forming a guide therefor. It is further common. practice for the purpose of conserving power to employ ball bearing twister spindles to effect a reduction in the operating costs. machine and particularly Where ballbeare ing spindles are employed it is practicablev to drive the spindles at greatly increased speeds but in the spinning operation as now practiced the rate of speed of the spindles is definitely limited with relation to, the rate of speed at which it is practicable for the traveler to properly c'o act there with. It results therefrom that the rate of speed permitted by the traveler or moving thread guide is a determining factor in limiting the output of the spindle and-practice has shown that it is impractical to revolve the traveler guides at speeds greater than approximately forty-two thousand inches per minute. When the spindles are operated to impart a traveling speed to the traveler guides greater than the rate given the resulting friction of the excess rate of speed causes the travelers to become heated and to bind so that there is nouniformlty in their operation and they do not PIOPGF ly co-act with the spindle in the twisting operation.

In the operation of the spinning An important object of the present invention is to produce a traveler thread guide which will successfully cooperate with the spindle at a. materially increased, rate of speedthan is now permitted tothe end of obtaining a substantially increased yarn production. To this end I have devised animproved ball bearing traveler guide or guide ring adapted for operation at materially increased speed and entirely eliminating the frictional limitationsas heretofore imposed in the spindle operation. My improved traveler guide is in the form of a rotary ring provided with a suitable ball race to be rotatable upon hearing balls operating in a co-a cting race way of an outer sup porting or bearing member. The several parts constituting my improved guiding means are furthermore designed to embody other and important features which terially contribute to the successful opera-' tion at the desired increased rate of speed and'further to permit of their being readily adapted to the standard forms of supporting or ring rails whereby they may be readily substituted for the old thread guides or spinning rings in the present equipment. An additional important feature of my present construction resides in an improved and advantageous form of raceway for the bearing balls wherein a space or groove is provided at the bottom of the respective race way adapted to re ceive therein the lint which may accuinulate in the race way so that there is no interruption to the free movement of the active bearing. surfaces. 7

Other valuable features and advantages of my improved, device willbe understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters are applied to the corresponding and equivalent parts in the several views:--

Fig. 1 is a view showing my improved spinning ring guide in vertical cross-section arranged to co-act with a ball-bearing type of spindle shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a, plan view of the b-alljbearing guide ring embodying the features of my invention shown in Fig. 1, and

3is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a desirable modification particularly adapted for the smaller size ring construction.

Fig. 4L is a plan view thereof and is adapted to receive thereon the spool 4 provided with slot 5to receive therein the key 6 of the spindle whereby they are rotatively secured. As will'be readily understood my present improvement is particularly applicable and valuable in its association with the ball bearing type of spindle in that the latter is more especially adapted for operation at the higher speeds with the minimum of power consumption.

In the desirable embodiment of my improvements as illustrated in Figssl and 2 the spinning guide comprises a rotary traveler ring or guide 8 of annular form. At its outer periphery it is formed as shown with a grooved race way 9 co-acting with an internal race way 10 of an outer ring or supporting member 11 to receive in the race way so formed the usual bearing balls 12. The arrangement thus provides for journalling the rotary guide member 8 to be rotatable upon the ball bearings whereby it is supported to be extremely free running with the elimination of frictional limitations thereby allowing for its being successfully operated at relatively high speeds. Suitably mounted upon the traveler ring a suitable thread guide li is supported which may as disclosed be in the form of a looped wire suitably secured to theupper surface of the guide ring 8. I

A further important feature of my present invention consists in an improved construction and corelation of the parts designed particularly to insure against inter-,

ruption of the freedom of movement to the rotary guide by the accumulation of lint, dust or other foreign matter in the ball race and also in the construction of the outer ring or supporting member 11 whereby it is readily adapted to the standard ring rails. In accordance therewith I desirably construct the parts as shown with the supporting ring 11 formed with an upper vertical bearing flange 16 having the internal race way 10 fashioned in its inner wall. .At its lower edge the wall 16 is integral with the horizontally extending shoulder portion 17 adapted to bear upon the usual ring rail 18 at the margin of the usual circular aperture 19 formed therein for the attachment of the spinning rings. At its inside the horizontal shoulder portion of the ring 11 is integrally formed with a depending vertical flange portion 20 suitably formed to closely fit the aperture 19 of the ring rail to secure the guiding means in position. To provide for perfect freedom of movement of the rotary guide member 8 it is supported upon its bearing balls free of engagement with the outer supporting ring 11. As indicated at its under side a substantial clearance orspace 21 is provided between the under side of the guide member 8 and the top surface of the flange portion 17 of the outer ring. The flange 17 as shown is formed with its top surface outwardly and downwardly inclined forming an annular groove 22 at its juncture with the vertical bearing flange 16. The function of the groove so formed is to collect excessive oil which may be thrown off by the centrifugal action from the bearing and as indicated a plurality of radially arranged ducts or openings 24 are bored through the outer wall of the supporting ring 11 communicating with the groove 22 and downwardly inclined therefrom to provide for the drainage of the oil from within the groove and onto the top surface of the ring rail. As will be readily understood the resulting drainage or flow of oil will be instrumental in carrying off from the bearings dust and lint which may tend to collect therein and which otherwise would by its accumulation interfere with and interrupt the required free rotation of the rotary guide 8.

To protectively enclose the upper side of the ball bearing race way a cover or dust plate 26 is carried by the ring guide member 8, as here shown being constructed to enclose or clamp'over the ring 8 at its inner side and having its upper portion or horizontaltop wall extended outwardly beyond the outer edge of the outer ring 11 and at its outer marginal portion provided with a downwardly turned flange 27, the

edge portion of which is below-the top plane of the outer ring; As illustrated the protecti've cover is desirably formed of thin sheet metal and is arranged in close prox imity to the top edge portion of the outer ring but slightly spaced therefrom to provide the necessary freedom of movement.

The arrangement thus provided affords protectionat the top of the ball race way against entry thereinto of foreign particles and furthermore is of a form which permits of the oil from the bearing being expelled outwardly by the centrifugal force over the top edge of the flange 16 and will in consequence tend to carry off any foreign'part-icles and maintain the bearings clear there of. A further feature of my present invention which is of material importance to its successful operation at high speeds consists in forming the rotary traveler ring or guide 8 of comparatively light weight whereby it is adapted to apply the properreticularly adapted for rings of smaller sizes.

As is therein shown the guide ring 8 is formed of a single piece of sheet metal suitably shaped to provide the external peripheral race way 9 and at its upper edge provided with a marginal horizontal flange or cover extension 28 overlying the top sur-' face of the outer ring or supporting member 11 as indicated. The flange 28 is suitably spaced from the top surface of the ringll to be out of contact and furtherto be sufficiently close to offer protection to the bearings from foreign particles. The annular guide ring 8 at its lower edge is further provided with a depending vertical flange or apron extension 29 arrangedto protect the race way from foreign particles at its under side. At its inside upper edge the guide ring 8 may desirably have integrally formed therewith the apertured thread guide 30 which may be desirably formed by turning up a portion of the protective cover flange 28. The outer or supporting ring 11 as indicated is fitted to the aperture 19? of the ring rail 18 and at its upper outer margin is provided with a flange 31 bearingupon the upper surface of the rail.

An important feature of the modified construction of Figs. 3 to 5 resides in an improved manner of insuring against impedance to'the free running of the parts by accumulation of foreign particles on the bearing surfaces. For this purpose as shown the construction is such as to provide annular grooves or spaces at the bottom or central portions of the inner and outer race ways 9 and 10 formed in the guide ring 8" and outer supporting ring 11 respectively. To this end the inner or guide ring 8 is formed at its central portion with an inwardly turned offset 31' providing an annular groove 32 at the bottom or inner portion of the curved race way 9 and the outer ring 11 is provided with an annular groove 33 similarly positioned at the bottom of the curved race way 10. As a result thereof a substantial space is provided for the accumulation therein of such particles as may enter into the race-ways into which the foreign particles would naturally work their way thereby maintaining the active bearing portions 9 and 10 free therefrom. Also as indicated suitable radially and downwardly inclined ducts or grooves 34 are provided in the outer supporting member or ring 11 to communicate with the annular groove 33 and provide for drainage thereof below the rail 18 so as to carry olf oil and foreign matter.

In Fig. 5 the construction corresponds to that of Fig. 3 with the further modification that the upper marginal and protective flange 28 is extended outwardly beyond the outer edge of the supporting ring 11 and provided with a downwardly extending marginal flange 35 more fully to'protect the race way from above.

In the assembling of the parts as illustrated it will be understood that when fully assembled the bearing balls 12 are held in spaced relation by suitable ball retainers, not shown, and that in the operation of assembling, the balls 12 are inserted between the respective inner and outer rings 8 and 11 all at one side and with the rings in eccentric relation after which the balls are moved around into properly spaced relation and the ball retainers inserted. In the arrangement of Fig. 1 this may be performed from above before the protectivefiange 26 is turned down into horizontal position,

while in the arrangement of Figs. 3 to 5 the balls may be similarly inserted but from below.

I have thus produced an improved ball bearing traveler ring guide which is particularly adapted for operation at extremely high speed. Moreover incidental to my peculiar construction the parts are formed in a manner to constantlyeliminate or remove the foreign particles from within the active bearing surface in a'manner which will insure a continuous free movement of the rotary guide. It will be further appreciated that my improved ball bearing ring is of a character wherein the wear is reduced to the minimum and the operating life of the parts proportionately increased and in addition the parts are suitably formed to be readily incorporated in the standard ring rail constructions to replace the present types of rings, a feature which is of great commercial importance in that it permits of conveniently and inexpensively increasing the output of spindles now in use.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A rotary traveler guide adapted for cooperation with a spindle for the spinning or twisting of yarn comprising a supporting and bearing member adapted, to be secured to a supporting rail and provided with an annular race-way and formed with an annular grooved shoulder portion underlying the race way and having outlet openings for the drainage of the groove, a rotary guide ring provided with an annular race-way related to the race-way of the supporting member to provide a ball race, rotatable bearing members or balls fitted within the ball race so formed and providing roller bearings for the rotary guide ring lSO vided on the uide ring member and posif tioned to over ie the upper opening of the race-way in close proximity thereto and a thread guide or eyelet carried by the ring, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a rotary traveler guide adapted for cooperation with a spindle in the spinning or twisting of yarns comprising a supporting and bearing member adapted to be secured upon a spinning rail said supporting member being provided with an internal annular raceway a traveler guide ring member formed with an external annular race-way adapt ed to co-act with the supporting member way to provide a ball racefor bearing balls, bearing balls fitted within the race-way so formed, said supporting member race-way being formed with an annular groove at the bottom of the race-way adapted to receive foreign particles therein," said member being providedwith externally communicating openings from said groove and a threadedguide or eyelet carried by the guide ring, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, a

ing provided with an internal annular raceway, a' traveler guide ring member formed with an external annular race-wa adapted to coact with the supportlng mem er way to provide. a ball race for bearing balls, bear ing balls fitted within the race way: so formed, a protective cover extension provided on the guide ring and arranged to overlie the upper surface of the outer supporting member in close proximity thereto and free of contact therewith and a thread guide or eyelet carried by the guide ring and said traveler guide ring member being formed with a depending annular fiange'o'r apron extension, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ELWIN H. RooNEY, 

